A bit of research on " Dan"

Our new Director of Football is known as Dan.He lives in Huddersfield.His association with 777 was as an employee for 18 months.He works closely with the clubs other anylsts.Nearly all clubs now have anylists.
Leicester City fans blame Rogers for Dan leaving because what ever the recruitment team put forward to him he was determined to do it his way and evidently he signed some poor players.
Highly regarded at Leicester,Huddersfield and the short time he spent at Everton also.
Some Barnsley fans have phobias with names that are not common like John ,David, Bobby etc.

 

What was his role at hudders ? Was it data/analytics on the recruitment side ?

 

The only thing I don't understand about his appointment is that he appears to be a data analyst but the role was advertised as needing someone to arrange all player contracts. I don't really understand how data analyst = contract manager.

Oh, also wasn't it a director of football role that was advertised? But he's been employed as sporting director instead?

 

I don't think that's much of a leap. I'm a product manager but part of my job is data analysis. We have a Data Analytics product that I build from the ground up and I provide insights to our clients on the data within. I don't analyse football data, but if you gave me it, I could. Data is data. I wouldn't feel that far out of my comfort zone negotiating player contracts. I already write tenders and business plans, hold discussions with potential clients, negotiate with software providers, help solve issues for members of our team. It's all office based work and arranging contracts doesn't seem that far away from some of the things I already do. I'd want to read up on best practices and maybe attend a course, but it doesn't feel like it's outside my skillset or at odds to some of the things I'm already doing. I'm not claiming I'd be any good, but the practices are similar to some things I already do. When you work for small companies, and football clubs are small companies, your role tends to be quite broad. It's not like suddenly being asked to be a trapeze artist... or a football coach.

What would be massively out of my comfort zone is this: "Additionally, the former Leicester man will work with our coaches to create and implement a game model and coaching methodology to be used across the club."

What? You want me to tell Neil Collins and his team of coaches how to coach the players? And all the coaches in the academy? Most of whom (maybe all?) have played the game professionally and all of whom have a wealth of coaching accreditation. And you think I can do that because I'm able to analyse the data? Even though I haven't played football for 30 years and I've never held a coaching session in my life? Is this still reality?

 

Could you not analyse the metrics of play though. Heat maps, number of touches, passing completion, shots on target from various scenarios, link in with the sports scientists around fitness etc.

I think specifying very generic tropes of playing style we want to have I.e. high press, using wingers to create goals, not dicking about at the back etc is what they mean by a coaching methodology, not coming and criticising Collins and staff on the training field.

Not sure why so many on here would get up in arms about that by the way, because they come on here and do it after every match. The only difference is that no one has given them a wage to do so, and no one at the club has to listen to them.

 

I agree that sounds a bit odd.
I wonder if it’s more about communicating an overall philosophy as we’ve done before to some extent - by saying we play a certain way, so will replace coaches with those that have similar approach. . . .?

 

I think I'd have a phobia if someone called David Bobby approached me.

 

See where you’re coming from, I didn’t interpret the coaching bit how you have.
I read that as he is taking responsibility to ensure all football related matters plug into the same philosophy through the entire club.
That wouldn’t be telling them how to coach but sharing the results wanted and reviewed regular which I would have thought would be well within your reach as it’s just different set of data.

 

Whatever happened to scouts going looking at players at matches and reporting that this player can do backflips when he scores,this one can do handstands,this one kisses other players better when they score games gone to pot

 

Scouts still watch the targets so does the coach.

 

Absolutely, and then the real skill is communicating that effectively to those who can act upon it.

I work for a company that provides a service for local authorities in their statutory duty to care for vulnerable children. We collect a lot of data. This used to be primarily presented in spread sheets, our Analytics tool presents the data in much more human friendly, visual way. I know the data very well and I'm able to quickly direct clients towards what may be areas of concern. It's a very valuable tool for highlighting actionable insights.

I have no doubt the same is true for the data collected on the training field and from a Saturday afternoon game. I'm a big believer in the value of data analytics. I make the bloody things. I'm sure it will work for football. It's a great tool. What I don't do, after evaluating the data, is become the caseworker who works directly with the children.

 

Football Contracts are fairly straight forward. They are set formats agreed with FA. So there’s not much to do with it, other than agree details.

Non-playing staff are on normal everyday contracts.

 

I suppose only time will tell, but can confirm in my job there are data analysts who tell me how to run my electrical testing programme who have never been electricians and have no idea how to get a satisfactory EICR.